Interplay between miRNAs and lncRNAs: Mode of action and biological roles in plant development and stress adaptation

Plants employ sophisticated mechanisms to control developmental processes and to cope with environmental changes at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), two classes of endogenous noncoding RNAs, are key regulators of gene expression in plants. Recent studies have identified the interplay between miRNAs and lncRNAs as a novel regulatory layer of gene expression in plants. On one hand, miRNAs target lncRNAs for the production of phased small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs). On the other hand, lncRNAs serve as origin of miRNAs or regulate the accumulation or activity of miRNAs at transcription and post-transcriptional levels. Theses lncRNA-miRNA interplays are crucial for plant development, physiology and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the biological roles, interaction mechanisms and computational predication methods of the interplay between miRNAs and lncRNAs in plants.